Railroad-gate



L. MILLER AND W. J. GRIFFITH.

RAILROAD GATE..

APIPLlcATloN FILED 1m30', 1.920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- L. MILLER AND W. 1. GRIFFITH.

RAILROAD GATE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.30, 1920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HOIII LEWIS MILLER AND WILLIAM JUDSON GRIFFITH, OF GLENMARY, TENNESSEE.

RAILROAD-GATE.

Y speineation of Letters Patnt. u

Patented Aug. a, 1921.

Applicationled J'anuary'SO, 1920. Serial No. 355,023.

ToaZZ wlw/mit may concern.'

Be it known that we,LEWis MILLER and WILLIAM JUDsoN GRIFFITH, citizensfof the United States, residing -at Glenmary, in' the countyof Scott and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful'lmprovements in Railroad-Gates, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to safetyappliances, such as signaling means and barriers for railway crossingsor like dangerous places, the purpose being to provide novel actuating means for the safety appliances which are adapted to be electrically operated from any point or points in the length of the track Jfrom either approach Vand at required distance from the crossing or like p lace to be safe arded.

T foregoing andother objectswhich will appear as the natureof Vthe invention is better understood may'be'accomplishe'd by a simple construction and combination of operative devices such as is illustrated by the drawings, it being understood, however, that the nature of the invention is. such as to render the same susceptible to modifications which fall within the scope of what is claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view'of a railway crossing provided with the improved sa ety appliance, the electric elements including circuits, etc., being shown diagrammatically and the gate being in open position. Y

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arrangement of parts when the gate is closed and locked in accordance-with this invention.

While our improvement is adaptable to any number of tracks we have in the accompanying drawings illustrated a single track which is broadly indicated by the numeral 10. The rails 11 and 12 of the track are insulated from each other as indicated by the numerals 13, at points approximatel four hundred feet to each side of the crossing 14.

.The crossing is provided with the usual safety gates 15 placed on opposite sides of the track, only one of such gates being shown in the drawings. The gates 15 maybe operated either electrically or manually and as disclosed by the drawing the gate'l is provided on its inner end with a socket 16 designed to be engaged by a bolt member 17 when the gate is in closed position as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Electrically operated signals 18 are placed on opposite sides of the crossing 14, only one signal, however, being .illustrated by the drawings. i

On one side of the track 10 adjacent to the insulated ends of the rails 11 are track batteries 19 to which are connected wires 20 anolf21 leading from the rails 11 and 12 respectively of the track. On one side of the rail 12 areaplurality. of relay magnets 22 which arefwired, as at 23, and 24 to the energized'rails 11 and 12. Thenumber of relay magnets 22 correspond to the insulated sectlons of the energized rails of the track 10.

"The numeral 24 designates the signal relay battery'and 25 and 26 the circuit wires therefrom. On the wirel 25v are the armatures 27 for the relay magnets 22. f'

The wires 25 and 26 of the common circuit are connected at the ends thereof to a relay magnet 28 Ydisposed opposite the signal 18. The armature for the magnet 28 is indicated by the numeral 29, and the wires leading to the signal are indicated by the numerals 30 and 31 respectively, and to the wire 31 the armature 29 is connected.

' The lock circuit which actuates the locking bolt 17 includes a battery 32 having wires 33 and 34 leading therefrom. The wire 34 is coiled around the magnets 35 of the lock solenoid, and the armature 36 for the said solenoid is connected to the bolt 17. The wire 33 oit' the lock circuit has at the end thereof a relay armature 29 disposed adjacent to a relay 40 that is arranged opposite one of the relay armatures 27. One of the branches of the wire 25, indicated for distinction by the numeral 41 is provided with contact elements for the relays 22, the said contact elements being indicated by the numerals 42, and from one of these branch wires extends the wire that is connected toI the relay 28.

It will be apparent that the common circuit is closed when no train is in the blocks on the opposite sides of the crossing 14 and that the same is opened when the train is in the block in which the crossing 14 is situated. When the train is in this block its relay 22 will be denergized and the common circuit is broken which closes the locking circuit. This energizes the magnet lock solenoid, causing the armature 36 to move the bolt 17 intothe socket 16 ci the gate 15 and locking the gate when the latter is in closed posif tion. It is to beunderstood thatlthe locking mechanism can be of any form which j locks when the current is vin and opens When the circuit is broken. It Will be also under; stood that the bolt 17 is in unlocking position-l When the train is in the block and that as the train approaches the block and remains Vtherein the signal `18Hwill be. brought to danger position.

Htaving thus described the invention, what isclaimed as new, is i y K i Vl.- In combinationrivith a railway track and cross1ng, sa1d track having its rails on the oppositeY sidesnoii' the crossinginsulated from each other. and .electrically energized,

relay magnets connected to ysaid energized rails, a common circuit :including a battery having relay armatures for said relay mag? f nets, contact elementsior the armatures in said common circuit, said common circuit having therein V'an additional relayv magnet, a signal in a normally open circuit, "an arma-' ture in `said circuit disposed opposite the last mentioned magnet and a contact in-said circuit lfor said armature, a gate at the crossing, a lock circuit including ahattery, a solenoid anda movable armature therefor. de signed when Asaid circuitlis closed fto engage With the gate to lock said 4gate in closed position, and an armature in said lockcircuit disposedl adjacent to oneil-of the armatures for the energized track relay magnets, all as Y and orjthe purpose set forth. Y

Y. 2. In a device of the Vclass described, in combination'with arailvvay track and crossing, said track having its rails on the oppo- "site sides of the crossing insulated from each other and electrically energized, relay magnets 'connected to said energized rails, a common circuit including a battery having relay armatures for said relay magnets, contact elements for the armatures in said com-p.

mon circuit, as econd relay denergized When the track relay is denergized, a signal controlled by the Vsecond relay, a gate iat the crossing, lockreceiving means carried by the gate/,Varlock circuit including a relay armaturedisposed adjacent to a relay opposite one 'of the primary relay armatures, aleat-V tery, a solenoid havingasmovable armature therefor, and alocking bolt slidably Amounted betweenthe magnetsof the solenoid hav- 

